Nigeria’s point guard, Uche ‘UC’ Iroegbu was the hero for D’Tigers on Sunday, as he netted 17 points in an amazing 106-62 blowout victory at the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualification tournament in Luanda, Angola, Sports247 reports.
Iroegbu justified his pre-match hype by stepping out among the lot, as D’Tigers sealed qualification for the qualifiers second round with their convincing win that completed a perfect three-game run for Nigeria.
David Fizdale’s side got the revival they needed with earlier victories over Tunisia and Guinea, as the team continued their impressive surge under the American gaffer and Iroegbu led the way.
While the younger of two Iroegbu brothers also provided seven assists, equally exciting Caleb Agada, Ikechukwu Mekowulu and Stan Okoye each added 13 points in the mammoth victory for D’Tigers, who totally overwhelmed Rwanda at both ends of the court.
It was a huge consummation for the Nigerian side that began this lap of the qualifiers with an 84-81 win over Tunisia, on a night when Chimezie Metu and Ike Iroegbu got 17 points each, Wes Iwundu contributed 14 and Uche Iroegbu added 13.
They followed it up with a tight 80-79 comeback win against Guinea on Friday, during which Agada starred with 22 points, while Uche Iroegbu contributed 14 and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu added 10, as D’Tigers rallied from behind to secure victory.
Sunday’s comprehensive win over Rwanda completed a clean sweep of three straight wins for Nigeria in the second stage of the qualifying window, as Fizdale’s side combined experience with young talent in thoroughly disciplined performances all through the tournament.
Their three consecutive victories have consequently boosted Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, as the squad resurrected from a highly scary 1-2 setback in round one of the campaign.
Arise Television’s Morning Show anchor, Rufai Oseni, has criticised presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr Peter Obi, over his alleged lack of visibility and policy inconsistencies ahead of the 2027 general election.
Oseni also raised concerns over reported disagreements between Obi’s political movement, the Obidient Movement, and the NDC, questioning whether the party was adequately addressing the expectations of its supporters.
He made the remarks on Friday while reacting to comments by a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, Chief Don Ulasi, on the opposition’s preparedness for the 2027 presidential election.
Ulasi had described Obi as the only serious opposition figure capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu, citing the government’s shortcomings in areas such as inflation and rising food prices.
However, the PDP chieftain expressed doubts about the opposition’s ability to capitalise on public dissatisfaction, saying he had not seen sufficient grassroots mobilisation or town hall meetings by the NDC leadership.
Responding, Oseni questioned Obi’s political organisation and the reported disagreements between his camp and the NDC.
He said, “And that goes back to the problem that even this Peter Obi you are talking about. Are you really sure because he’s also having infighting with his NDC political party.
“As we speak today, there are loggerheads between OK movement and NDC, which there’s a lot of disagreement, which a lot of people even say they don’t even trust the high ups there in the NDC as regards if they are even truly after their hopes and aspiration.”
The broadcaster also faulted Obi over his position on petrol subsidy, arguing that the former Anambra State governor had failed to maintain a consistent stance on the policy.
“today, where is his manifesto? He was nowhere, he was found nowhere in the subsidy debate. He said something, then he flip flop on the subsidy.
“At first, he said, ‘Oh, I will keep subsidy. Now he’s saying he will remove subsidy again. But he said he will correct the corruption in there,” Oseni said.
He further argued that Obi had lost some of the supporters who backed him during the 2023 presidential election, attributing the development partly to what he described as inconsistency in his positions.
“So a lot of people have found him flip-flopping, and he has also lost a lot of people from the last election cycle that supported him,” he added.
DAILY POST reports that Obi’s political platform and the cohesion of opposition parties are likely to remain key issues as political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 general election.
In an ambitious move designed to bypass domestic facility deficits, the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria is launching a high-performance framework centered on extended overseas residency camps and the establishment of a regional center of excellence.
Rather than relying solely on short-term training workshops, national sports administrators are implementing a structural overhaul aimed at transforming Nigerian athletes into genuine medal contenders ahead of the 2027 African Games in Egypt and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Following recent bilateral agreements inked at the World Congress in Bangkok, top national team gymnasts will participate in intensive, six-month international immersion programs hosted in specialised facilities across Turkey, China, Japan, and Azerbaijan.
Under this comprehensive arrangement, host nations will provide elite coaching, specialised equipment, full accommodation, and nutritional support. This prolonged exposure to world-class sports science and high-altitude conditioning is specifically tailored to refine routine difficulty scores and execution precision, areas where African gymnasts have historically lagged behind international powerhouses.
Simultaneously, the federation is capitalizing on its newly expanded international partnerships to establish a modern regional hub in Nigeria.
Designed to serve West and Central Africa, the proposed center will feature state-of-the-art apparatuses provided through foreign equipment-sharing grants. The facility will host joint continental training camps and offer localized accreditation programs for coaches and judges across various disciplines, including artistic, rhythmic, aerobics, and parkour gymnastics.
By pairing multi-month elite training abroad with long-term infrastructure investment at home, Nigeria is positioning itself to shift from a continental participant into an influential gymnastics powerhouse over the next decade. If successfully sustained, this two-pronged blueprint could redefine how emerging nations nurture Olympic-caliber athletic talent outside traditional sports.